Newspaper Page Text
Spelman Spotlight
November 14, 1983
Page 6
Delta Sigma Theta Sponsors...
Seminar On Job Opportunities For Women
by Stephanie Grant
Those of you who were not
present on October 17 at the
seminar on employment oppor
tunities for women missed a very
informative dialogue. The
seminar, sponsored by the ladies
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Incorporated, Eta Kappa
Chapter, featured Ms. Delores L.
Crockett, regional administrator
of the Women's Bureau, a divi
sion of the United States Depart
ment of Labor. Ms. Crockett, a
1969 graduate of Spelman
College, is responsible for eight
southeastern states (including
Georgia), and 10 regional offices.
The Women’s Bureau does not
find women jobs; it only informs
women of employment oppor
tunities. This information can be
obtained by writing to: the
Women’s Bureau, Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Department of
Labor, Washington, D.C.; 20210,
or by writing to regional offices.
They may be obtained free of
charge. This information advises
women on what jobs are
available and where they are.
There are different pamphlets
available on different informa
tion. The agency gives only the
most current information.
What Ms. Crockett spoke
about was the labor force, or
labor market. The labor force is
everyone in the United States
who is either employed or
looking for a job. Historically,
the only job women have
dominated is that of housewife;
98% of all household workers are
women. The job area least work
ed by women is the crafts;
carpentry, electricity, millwork,
craft apprentiships, etc. Women
are only six percent of the crafts
market.
Ms. Crockett gave a great deal
of very revealing statistics which
show just how precarious con
ditions are for Black women. In
the United States today, women
make up 43% of the labor force,
54% of all Black women are in the
labor force. 43.8% of all Black
teenage women, aged 16 to 19,
are unemployed, 16.4% of Black
women over 19 are out of work.
Lurthermore, nearly half the
Black labor market is female.
Presently, women earn less tharr
men, and Black women earn less
than White women. This makes
Black women the lowest paid of
all workers. These statistics come
from 1982. The agency predicts
that by the turn of the century,
half the labor force will be
women. Ms. Crockett says that
sexual discrimination will have to
ease; women will be too impor
tant to the labor market. Black
women can only benefit from
this.
Ms. Crockett also spoke about
poverty. In 1981, the median
income of Black families was 56%
that of White families; in 1982, it
was 55% of the other scores fall
above and below. The poverty
level is defined by the U.S.
Government as a family of four
earning $9500 to $9700 a year. In
1982, 8.8% of all White families
were in poverty while 33% of all
Black families were in poverty.
Out of all the families headed by
women, 28% of white families
were in poverty, and 56.2% of all
Black families were in poverty. A
women is considered head of
her family if she earns more than
50% of the total family income.
The saddest statistic of all is that
of children living in poverty. 16%
of White children vs. 47% of
Black children live in poverty.
The United States Government
no longer feels responsible for
these children; therefore, many
Black children are practically
starving.
The major jobs held by Black
women are: houseworkers,
clerical filers/registered nurses,
school teachers, etc. None of
these types of jobs pay substan
tial money. Worse yet, these
types of jobs are declining in
availability. Ms. Crockett says
that it is important to take care of
yourself by preparing yourself
for work. Any job, from fast-food
Mrs. Isabelle Stewart:
The First Lady Of Spelman
by Rhonda Jackson
All Spelmanites are familiar
with the cliche, “Behind every
great man there is a woman.”
Mrs. Stewart, the first lady of
Spelman can be considered a
“superwoman.” Aside from
carrying the responsibilities of
being an official hostess for
Spelman, Mrs. Stewart has her
own career. Mrs. Stewart feels
that Spelmanites more than
anyone else should be able to
understand her need to have her
own area of expertise, aside from
her job as the wife of Dr. Stewart.
A graduate of Wellesley
College in Boston, Mrs. Stewart
has a Bachelors Degree in
Lrench, a Master’s Degree in
Education (MED) which she
obtained form New York Univer
sity, and a Master’s Degree in
Reading which she received
from the University of Penn
sylvania. In the face of such
accomplishments it is suprising
that as a senior in undergraduate
school, Mrs. Stewart says that she
did not have a long term goal.
She feels that her future was
limited because of her family as
well as because of the expec
tations of society. Her immediate
profession, directly out of
college, was to be a French
teacher at the high school level.
After four years as a
bachelorette, Mrs. Stewart
married Dr. Stewart and moved
to Egypt for two years. Her next
job was also in the area of
education. She taught English as
a second language at the
American University in Cairo.
After her exciting experiences in
Cairo, Mrs. Stewart’s career was
delayed for several years
because of motherhood and her
intense involvement in
volunteer work. After many
years of working diligently for
Spelman, Mrs. Stewart says, “I
felt the need to branch from
under theSpelman umbrella and
have my own career.” In 1981 she
returned to education as a part-
time teacher of reading atTrinity
School, a private school here in
Atlanta. Eventually, her hours
increased and she became a full
time teacher with respon
sibilities that extended beyond
the classroom; into the ad
ministrative segment of Trinity
School. Her long term goal is to
“LEARN AS MUCH AS l can in
the fields of reading, languages
and learning disabilities and to
eventually translate this learning
into working with black children
of community schools in a public
or private setting.”
Although Mrs. Stewart is not as
directly involved with activities
at Spelman as she was in previous
years, she is still a very important
and hard-working person in
our Spetman community. She
says her contact with students
has not suffered severly because
of her career. She still enjoys
seeing and speaking to
Spelmanites on campus at of
ficial functions, at Hardy’s 24-
hour grocery, and at Rich’s
downtown. Her inspiring advice
to graduating seniors is,
“Attempt to balance your con
cern for your own well being and
your concern for others in your
immediate environment as well
as the total community.” Mrs.
Stewart’s process of growth and
discovery through her career
and volunteer work certainly
makes her a role model by which
all Spelmanites should pattern
themselves.
chains to volunteer work, will aid
you in gaining a position in your
desired field. She also says that it
is important to “remember
where you came from,” and do
what you can for your people.
Minority women are not hired if
they are not skilled. Companies
will not hire you just so they can
count you twice, as both a
woman and a Black. You must be
qualified, especially since affir
mative action laws are steadily
being relaxed. Why do many
Black women have a hard time
getting hired? Ms. Crockett says
that it is due to many Black
women having no basic
knowledge of how to make
themselves marketable. Also,
companies have few successful
role models to compare Black
women to. The person most
likely to hire you will be a White
man. He has no conception of
what a Black woman is.
(Continued on Page 4)
Funds Needed
For Jackson
by Veronica P. Green
Associate Editor
Gary, Indiana Mayor Richard
G. Hatcher, Chairman of the
Jackson Presidential Advisory
Committee, has already started
a fund raising drive for the
possibility of a 1984 Democratic
presidential nomination for the
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, head of
Operation PUSH (People United
to Serve Humanity).
The campaign slogan strategy
is “Give A Jackson For Jackson.”
The $20 Bill holds the face of
President Andrew Jackson. Con
tributions in the form of checks
and money orders ranging
anywhere from $1 to $1,000 are
welcome, and should be made
payable to: Jackson Presidential
Advisory Committee, Gainer
National Bank, 504 Broadway,
Gary, Indiana 46402.
According to Mayor Hatcher,
Jesse Jackson has three decisive
criteria for determining whether
or not to run for president of the
United States: masses,
machinery, and money. It is
necessary to have the masses of
Black support for such a cam
paign. In the same manner, a
national support group com
posed of individuals from varied
backgrounds is vital. However,
“one cannot run a credible
campaign without money.”
In the event that Jesse Jackson
does become a candidate, all
monies raised in the name of
exploring would automatically
be applied to a ‘Jackson For
President Committee.' In addi
tion, all funds contributed to the
exploratory committee would
count toward federal matching
funds. To qualify for federal
matching funds a candidate is
required to raise $5,000 in 20
states in contributions no larger
than $250.